2011, Matt Evans, LB, New Hampshire
-- New Hampshire junior linebacker Matt Evans kept busy throughout the entire regular season, leading the Football Championship Subdivision with 154 tackles and 88 solo stops. The second player from CAA Football to win the award, Evans appeared on 113 of the 132 ballots and received 45 first-place votes, edging out Northern Iowa senior linebacker L.J. Fort. In addition to leading the nation in total tackles and solo stops, Evans posted double-digit tackles in 10 of New Hampshire's 11 regular-season games. He also snagged a pair of interceptions (one for a touchdown), forced three fumbles and registered six tackles for loss.

2010, J.C. Sherritt, LB, Eastern Washington
-- Sherritt was named the 16th recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award. The 5-foot-10, 220-pound Sherritt finished the regular season ranked 10th in the FCS with 11.36 tackles per game. He had at least 10 tackles in nine straight games, totaled 10 tackles for loss, including 2.5 sacks, intercepted three passes, broke up four, forced two fumbles, recovered one and had two quarterback hurries. Behind its captain, Eastern Washington was co-champion of the Big Sky Conference and advanced to the FCS playoffs for a second straight year, where they will meet Delaware in the FCS Championship game. The Eagles, who gained national attention for introducing a new red turf at their home stadium, went 9-2 during the regular season and ... overall.

2009, Arthur Moats, DE,
James Madison
-- James Madison defensive end Arthur Moats was named the 15th recipient of
the Buck Buchanan Award. Moats is the second JMU player to capture the
Buchanan Award, joining linebacker Derrick Lloyd, who won the honor in 2001.
Moats, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound senior from Portsmouth, Va., led the nation in
tackles for loss, averaging 2.14 per game (23.5 total), and was fourth in the
FCS in sacks (1.0 per game, 11 total). He also piled up 90 tackles and
returned a fumble for a 68-yard touchdown. Moats won by the largest margin in
Buchanan Award history, earning 37 first-place votes and 342 points to finish
110 points ahead of runner-up J.C. Sherritt, a linebacker from Eastern
Washington. Moats was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round (178th
overall pick) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

2008, Greg Peach, DE,
Eastern Washington
-- Eastern Washington defensive end Greg Peach was named the 14th winner of
the Buck Buchanan Award. Peach led FCS in sacks (1.64 per game, 18 total for
103 yards in losses) and tackles for loss (2.05 per game, 22.5 total, 133
yards) in 2008, recording six multi-sack games and 72 tackles along the way.
The campaign included an eye-opening four-sack effort against perennial FCS
stalwart Montana on Oct. 11. Peach was just one sack away from the Big Sky
Conference single-season record, owned by Montana's Andy Petak with 19, and
finished fifth-best in FCS history. He is second in the Big Sky and fourth in
FCS for career sacks with 35.5, finishing just three sacks behind Jared Allen
of Idaho State, the 2003 Buchanan Award winner and now an NFL standout. Peach
also owns school standards for single-season and career sacks, as well as
tackles for loss marks for a season and a career. Peach won by the largest
margin in Buchanan Award history, earning 39 first-place votes and 313 points
to finish 107 points ahead of runner-up Jovan Belcher, a defensive end from
Maine. Belcher had 15 first-place votes and 206 points, while Appalachian
State safety Mark LeGree placed third with 183 points. Peach is entering his third season with the CFL Edmonton Eskimos.

2007, Kroy Biermann, DE,
Montana
-- Montana defensive end Kroy Biermann was named the 13th winner of the Buck
Buchanan Award. Biermann finished second nationally with 16 sacks, and was
24th with 18.5 tackles for loss. He had 70 total tackles, 34 solo stops, five
forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two blocked kicks and one pass break-
up. The Hardin, MT native finished his career with 33 sacks, 46 tackles for
loss, nine forced fumbles, and seven fumble recoveries for a team that went
43-10 and won a share of four consecutive Big Sky titles during his time with
the program. Biermann received 35 first-place votes and 305 points to edge
Appalachian State free safety Corey Lynch by five points in the closest
Buchanan Award voting in history. Lynch also received 35 first-place votes out
of the 105 ballots cast by a panel of sports information directors and
selected media. McNeese State defensive end Bryan Smith was third in the
voting with 205 points. Biermann was drafted by Atlanta in the fifth round
(154th pick overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft and is currently in his third season with the Falcons.

2006, Kyle Shotwell, LB,
Cal Poly
-- The 6-1, 235-pound Shotwell led the nation in tackles for a loss with 21,
and made plays all over the field for a defense that was once again one of the
nation's best. He finished the season with 122 total tackles, 21 tackles for
loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, while leading a
unit that ranked in the top ten nationally in total and scoring defense and
pressured opposing quarterbacks with 37 sacks. Shotwell, who finished his
career at Cal Poly with 392 stops, was named Great West Defensive Player of
the Year in 2006. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007 by the NFL Oakland
Raiders, Shotwell spent most of that season on the Philadelphia Eagles
practice squad and then on the Indianapolis Colts playoff roster. Shotwell
spent part of the 2008 season on the practice squads of Tampa Bay, Minnesota
and Kansas City. He is currently a defensive assistant coach at Cal Poly,
working with the linebackers.

2005, Chris Gocong, DE, Cal
Poly
-- A 6-foot-2, 265-pound senior, Gocong paced a Cal Poly defense that led the
nation with 55 sacks. Gocong led all FCS players in sacks with 19, and filled
up the stat sheet with 24 tackles for a loss, 79 total tackles, 14 quarterback
hurries, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Gocong played well in
big games for a Cal Poly defense that spearheaded the team's 8-3 record and
first-ever playoff berth. Gocong was drafted by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles in
the third round (71st overall pick) of the 2006 draft and became a starter in
2007 after missing the '06 season due to injury. Gocong played three seasons with the Eagles and was traded to Cleveland in 2010.

2004, Jordan Beck, LB, Cal
Poly
-- Beck filled the stat sheet to lead the Mustangs to a 9-2 record and the
inaugural Great West title. He finished the season with 135 tackles, 18.5
tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, four interceptions and nine pass breakups, and
returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns. Beck made his presence felt
late in the season with 21 tackles and 2.5 stops for a loss against Eastern
Washington, 14 tackles and two stops for a loss against Northern Colorado and
11 tackles and two sacks in a win against Sacramento State. Cal Poly just
missed the playoffs with a 9-2 record, but finished with a place in the top 25
and won the Great West with a 4-1 mark. Beck became the first member of the
Cal Poly football program to win a major award. He was selected in the third
round (90th overall pick) of the 2005 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Beck
played two years with the Falcons and one season with the Denver Broncos.

2003, Jared Allen, DE,
Idaho State
-- Allen became the first Big Sky player to win the Buchanan, and first Idaho
State player to win a major FCS award. He finished with 102 tackles, 17.5
sacks, 28 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles for the 8-4 Bengals. Allen
got better as the season went on and terrorized opponents in conference play.
He had a four-sack game against Eastern Washington and 3.5 sack outing against
Montana. Allen ended up with an amazing 15.5 sacks in Idaho State's seven
conference games, and tallied 24 tackles for a loss in his last eight
contests. Allen recovered three fumbles and had nine pass deflections. He even
managed to catch a three-yard touchdown pass in an upset of Cal Poly. Allen
was selected in the fourth round (126th overall pick) of the 2004 NFL Draft by
the Kansas City Chiefs. Played four seasons with Kansas City, earning Pro Bowl
honors in 2007 with 15 1/2 sacks. Currently on the roster of the Minnesota
Vikings, Allen earned Pro Bowl honors in 2008 and 2009 after recording 14 1/2 sacks each season. In 10 games in 2010, Allen posted 9 1/2 sacks and forced three fumbles

2002, Rashean Mathis, FS,
Bethune-Cookman
-- Mathis recorded 14 interceptions during the 2002 regular season,
shattering the previous FCS single-season mark of 12 picks, set by Princeton's
Dean Cain in 1987. With 445 interception return yards on the season, Mathis
surpassed the previous record of 280, established by Murray State's William
Hampton in 1995. The Jacksonville, FL native led Bethune-Cookman to an 11-1
record, helping the school to its first outright Mid-Eastern Athletic
Conference title since 1984 and first FCS playoff berth in school history.
Mathis was selected in the second round (39th overall pick) of the 2003 NFL
Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and has started every game he's played at defensive back in his career. Mathis earned Pro Bowl honors in 2006 and has 28 career interceptions, including three for touchdowns, both franchise records.

2001, Derrick Lloyd, LB,
James Madison
-- Lloyd became the first-ever Atlantic 10 player to claim the Buchanan, and
was also the first to hail from a losing team. Lloyd was the bright spot in an
otherwise disappointing 2-9 season for James Madison, ending the year with 157
tackles, 94 solo stops, 19 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 5 fumble
recoveries. Lloyd had nine double-digit tackle performances during the season,
including a 23-tackle outing against nationally-ranked Rhode Island. The
Coffeyville Community College transfer led a defense that ranked first in the
Atlantic 10 and 11th in the nation in pass defense, surrendering just 149
yards per game in one of the nation's highest-octane throwing leagues. Despite
playing just three years for the Dukes, Lloyd finished his career with 320
tackles, good for 10th on the JMU all-time list.

2000, Edgerton Hartwell,
LB, Western Illinois
-- The second Western Illinois linebacker in three years to win the Buchanan,
Hartwell led the Leathernecks to an outright Gateway Football Conference title
and berth in the 2000 playoffs. The senior led the nation with 169 tackles,
including double-digit tackle performances in each of his 11 games. The
Wisconsin transfer and two-time Gateway Defensive Player of the Year finished
his WIU career with a school record 512 stops, including 308 solo tackles, and
had at least 10 stops in 31 of his 37 career games at the Macomb, IL school.
Western's season ended with a loss to Lehigh in the opening round of the FCS
Playoffs. A fourth round NFL draft choice (126th overall) in 2001 by
Baltimore, Hartwell went on to play professionally with the Ravens for four
seasons, three of which was as a starter and two years with the Atlanta
Falcons. His most productive season was in 2002, as he recorded 142 tackles,
with 103 solo stops. Hartwell has spent the past two seasons as a member of
the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders off-season rosters.

1999, Al Lucas, DT, Troy
State
-- Lucas became the first defensive tackle to claim the Buchanan, and was also
the first Southland Conference player to win a major FCS Award. The Macon, GA
native totaled 126 tackles and 20 tackles for loss, leading the Trojans to an
11-2 record and a berth in the national quarterfinals. The senior's tackle for
loss figure led all of FCS, and Troy finished with the 13th-rated total
defense in the division. Also a short-yardage threat in the running game,
Lucas scored 10 career rushing touchdowns, including three in the Trojans'
1999 postseason run. After defeating James Madison in the first playoff round,
TSU's season ended with a loss to Florida A&M. Lucas was originally signed as
a free agent by the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, and was also active with the
Carolina Panthers. Lucas died after suffering a spinal cord injury while
playing for the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League on April 10,
2005. He was 26

1998, James Milton, LB,
Western Illinois
-- Milton became the first-ever Gateway Football Conference player to win a
major FCS Award, after leading WIU to a league title and playoff appearance on
the strength of his play. The linebacker posted 176 tackles along with 22
tackles-for-loss, six pass breakups, and two interceptions as the 9-2
Leathernecks led the nation in fewest points allowed (9.37) and earned a spot
in the postseason. WIU defeated Montana (52-9) and Florida A&M (24-21) in the
playoffs before falling to Georgia Southern in the national semifinals. In his
two-year career, the Garden City Community College transfer totaled 316
tackles. Milton went on to attend professional training camps with the Kansas
City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

1997, Chris McNeil, DE,
North Carolina A&T
-- McNeil became the first defensive end to win the Buchanan, and was also the
first player from a MEAC school to win a major FCS honor. The North Carolina
State transfer wreaked havoc on opposing defenses, finishing the 1997 campaign
with 49 tackles and 21 sacks in leading the Aggies to a 7-4 season. McNeil
spearheaded a unit that gave up just 109.4 rushing yards per contest, the
second-lowest figure in the MEAC that season. The Thomasville, NC native was
named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week five times during his Aggie career. In
just 15 career games at A&T, McNeil posted an incredible 31.5 sacks, including
10.5 in just four games in 1996. McNeil went on to play professionally for the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.

1996, Dexter Coakley, LB,
Appalachian State
-- Coakley followed up his Buchanan Award performance of 1995 with another
timeless display, registering a career-high 166 stops for the 7-4
Mountaineers. Included in the campaign were three games of 20 tackles or more,
including one against I-A Wake Forest. Coakley graduated with a school-record
645 tackles in his four-year career, with his seven 20-tackle games also
ranking first in Appalachian annals. The Mt. Pleasant, SC native also stands
as the only two-time winner of the Buck Buchanan Award, as well as the only
individual to win two straight. Drafted in the third round of the 1997 NFL
Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Coakley enjoyed a productive, 10-year pro career
with the Cowboys and St. Louis Rams, earning NFL Pro Bowl honors in 1999,
2001, 2003.

1995, Dexter Coakley, LB,
Appalachian State
-- Coakley was the recipient of the inaugural Buchanan Award following a
legendary junior season. The Mt. Pleasant, SC native totaled 165 tackles on
the year, including 98 solo stops, as ASU posted a perfect 11-0 regular season
and won an outright Southern Conference title. The Mountaineers rode their
defense to a number of close wins, including a 10-3 triumph against normally
high-powered Marshall, the eventual national runner-up. Coakley posted 21
tackles against the Thundering Herd. Following a win over James Madison in the
opening playoff round, the ASU season ended in 27-17 loss to Stephen F.
Austin.